


Davening

by thinkingstar



Category: Watchmen - All Media Types
Genre: Blink And You Miss It Slash, Canon Jewish Character, Chanukah, Gen, Hannukah, Jewish Holidays, Judaism, M/M, Prayer, Religion, hanukah, hanukah candles, praying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-24 18:23:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4930306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thinkingstar/pseuds/thinkingstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daniel shows Rorschach something important to him and Rorschach listens.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Davening

**Author's Note:**

> I love getting the chance to write Jewish characters being Jewish. If anyone has a holiday request, I'll happily try it!
> 
> Based on this image: https://41.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwi7g1PCUh1qlmze0o1_400.jpg
> 
> Originally posted on my tumblr, heretherebedork

_Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam_

Daniel hadn’t used those words in forever. Yet they felt at home on his tongue as he watched Rorschach light the candles, the flames flickering from the shamash and brushing the gloves his partner against crime always wore.

_asher kidishanu b'mitz'votav v'tzivanu_

Normally, Daniel wouldn’t have bothered with this. He didn’t most of the time. Judaism was background radiation in his life, nothing more a vague belief and dreams of lights and his mother’s hands in front of his face as the shabbat candles grew brighter. He hadn’t practiced since he’d gone to college, hadn’t taken out his kippah since the last time he’d visited his parents before moving to New York. It sat heavy on his head and he was grateful Rorschach was already wearing his mask, covering his head and hair.

_l'had'lik neir shel Chanukah. (Amen)_

The candles flickered and Danial smiled slightly, reaching out to stop Rorschach from lighting more.

“It’s the first night,” he explained as he placed the shamash back in its place of honor. “So we light one candle.”

“Hrm,” Rorshach replied, watching Daniel set the lit menorah in the front window and look from side to side. “Looking for something, Daniel?”

“Just wondering if there’s anyone else doing this,” Daniel turned back with a smile. “I don’t see any. But maybe they’re waiting a little later. You’re really not supposed to start until after sundown,” he admitted sheepishly. But patrol waited for nothing and early was the only way he’d gotten Rorschach to agree.

Rorschach snorted and shrugged, turning to head towards the basement. Behind his mask, his eyes were still on Daniel, on the formal profile in front of the streetlight shadowed window. 

“Coming, Daniel?” he asked, motioning for him to head down, impatience spilling through every word.

“Yeah, Rorschach,” Daniel nodded after another glance from side to side at dark windows. “Let’s go.”

Much later that night, standing in a filthy apartment, Walter pulled the candles he’d pocketed out of his coat, laying them out on the counter. Aluminum foil bent and crumpled beneath his hand, forming an imitation of a menorah, all the little balls in a row as near his window as he could get.

The strange words tripped over his tongue, haltingly emerging in a parody of Daniel’s deep tones and sonorous chant. But Walter managed every word and the candles glowed in his window, lit the midnight sky through the cracks in the glass.

“Amen,” he mumbled, remembering Daniel’s rapidfire explanation of the word as they had taken Archie up and out earlier that night. Every word, every question, every answer replayed as he stretched out on his torn sheet, setting his face aside and closing his eyes.


End file.
